Year: 1999

Categories
Babylon 5 / Crusade Spinoff: Crusade

Rules Of The Game

CrusadeWhile visiting Babylon 5, Gideon tries to secure permission for the Excalibur to investigate a long-dead civilization from the Lorkans, the planet’s current inhabitants. He and Lochley share some quiet time alone – and the Drazi equivalent of a barbecued beef sandwich – on a tour of Down Below, where they become the targets of two Lorkans who wish to put a permanent end to Gideon’s inquiries. Max’s ex-wife asks for his help in settling a debt with a loan shark, but his stubbornness may only make things worse, not only for them, but for their cat.

Order the DVDswritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by Jesus Trevino
music by Evan H. Chen

Cast: Gary Cole (Captain Matthew Gideon), Tracy Scoggins (Captain Elizabeth Lochley), Daniel Dae Kim (Lt. Matheson), Carrie Dobro (Dureena Nafeel), David Allen Brooks (Max Eilerson), Marjean Holden (Dr. Sarah Chambers), Peter Woodward (Galen), Tim Choate (Polix), Timothy Landfield (Lorkan #3), Sal Landi (Rolf Mueller), Jamie Rose (Cynthia Allen), Joel Swetow (Ris), Jonathan Chapman (Brakiri Ambassador), Carl Reggiardo (Drazi vendor), Kathe Weeks (Diane), and Mr. Kitty (himself)

Notes: This episode carries a dedication to Mr. Kitty, pictured in Eilerson’s photograph, who apparently died prior to the airing of the episode. Mr. Kitty was in real life J. Michael Straczynski’s cat. Guest star Tim Choate is better known to Babylon 5 fans as Zathras.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Categories
Season 03 SG-1 Stargate

Learning Curve

Stargate SG-1SG-1 establishes friendly contact with the planet Orban, whose people Daniel believes to be the descendants of an Aztec civilization that died out in the 8th century. O’Neill is caught a little off-guard with the discovery that the scientific, technical and historical knowledge of the Orbanians seems to reside with their children. But after Teal’c briefs a little boy on the offensive strength of the Goa’uld, and Carter gets a crash course in the design of naquahdah reactors from a little girl named Merrin, an even more disturbing fact comes to light – the children’s bodies are laced with nanites in their infancy, allowing them to accumulate and process vast amounts of information, and then the nanites are extracted in a ceremony to distribute the collected knowledge to the rest of the population. But O’Neill is horrified to learn that those children who serve in this capacity are often left in a zombie-like state. He offers Merrin the chance to request asylum on Earth, but she refuses. O’Neill decides the time has come for drastic action, even if it creates a rift between Earth and Orban.

Order the DVDswritten by Heather E. Ash
directed by Martin Wood
music by Joel Goldsmith, David Arnold & Richard Band

Guest Cast: Andrew Airlie (Kalan), Brittney Irvin (Merrin), Teryl Rothery (Dr. Fraiser), Lachlan Murdoch (Tomin), Stephanie Shea (Solen), Diane Stapley (Mrs. Struble), Rob Farrell (SF Guard), Sarah Goodwill (Student), Laara Sadiq (Technician)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Farscape Season 1

Rhapsody in Blue

  • By Dave
  • July 23, 1999

FarscapeMoya initiates a sudden StarBurst when she hears a distress call from another pregnant Leviathan. Upon arrival, however, the crew learns that the signal was actually sent by a Delvian sect seeking Zhaan’s help. In their efforts to develop the power needed to free their world from the Peacekeepers, they have unleashed their own darker impulses; their leader is already insane, and his daughter and successor Tahleen is soon to follow. Only Zhaan has the knowledge and power to restrain those impulses, and Tahleen implores Zhaan to join her in mental unity in order to share that knowledge. Shaken by the memory of the last time she entered such a unity, and against Crichton’s better judgment, she agrees. But Tahleen has no plans for a peaceful exchange, and her betrayal may trap Zhaan in a state of madness and the rest of Moya’s crew in a prison of illusions and false memories.

Order the DVDsstory by David Kemper and Ro Hume
teleplay by David Kemper
directed by Andrew Prowse
music by Subvision

Guest Cast: Darlene Vogel (Alexandra/Lorana), Kate Raison (Tahleen), Max Phipps (Tuzak), Michael Beckley (Hasko), Aaron Cash (Pa’u Bitaal), Grant Magee (Jothee), Robert Supple (Young Crichton)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Categories
Babylon 5 / Crusade Spinoff: Crusade

Appearances and Other Deceits

CrusadeThe investigation of a derelict ship brings a colony of mental parasites aboard the ship. Gideon manages to contain them before they take over the entire ship, but they are only willing to relinquish control of the possessed crewmen if the Excalibur lets them loose on an inhabited world. A security officer gives his life to save Max from the parasites, and Max wonders if the sacrifice was worth it. A designer and public relations consultant from Earth overhaul the “look” of the mission to help reassure the viewers at home of its eventual success.

Order the DVDswritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by Stephen Furst
music by Evan H. Chen

Cast: Gary Cole (Captain Matthew Gideon), Tracy Scoggins (Captain Elizabeth Lochley), Daniel Dae Kim (Lt. Matheson), Carrie Dobro (Dureena Nafeel), David Allen Brooks (Max Eilerson), Marjean Holden (Dr. Sarah Chambers), Peter Woodward (Galen), Luanne Ponce (Janey), John Vickery (Mr. Welles), Wayne Anderson (Kevin Sprach), Christopher Michael (Earthforce Captain)

Notes: John Vickery appeared as Minbari warrior Neroon in Babylon 5, as well as the shifty Mr. Welles in the episode The Fall Of Night. This episode was written as a segue into the first produced episodes of the series, and some of its dialogue was a parody of the real-life problems between Crusade’s producers and TNT executives that eventually killed the series. The references to changes in the Excalibur’s decor and uniforms reflected TNT’s demands; in actuality, the costumes and sets seen in Racing The Night and later episodes were what Crusade was originally intended to look like.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Categories
Season 03 SG-1 Stargate

Point Of View

Stargate SG-1In the Area 51 holding area at Nellis AFB, two people emerge from the mirror device that one transported Daniel to an alternate reality, and are promptly taken into custody by the guards there. They’re brought to Cheyenne Mountain, where everyone recognizes them as Samantha Carter and Major Kawalsky. But in the reality from which they come, not only did Carter never join the Air Force, but Earth has been overrun by the Goa’uld. In the alternate reality, Dr. Samantha Carter was married to O’Neill, who died in the Goa’uld attack on the mountain – and no one from the alternate reality has ever heard of the Asgard. Worse yet, something begins to happen to the alternate Carter as she spends more time in the SGC, and it may be linked to the presence of two Carters in the same reality. A plan is formulated to return Dr. Carter and Major Kawalsky back to their reality, along with some additional firepower from the SGC – and a way to contact the Asgard. First, however, Apophis and his deadly first prime, Teal’c, will have to be overthrown.

Order the DVDsstory by Jonathan Glassner & Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper and Tor Alexander Valenza
teleplay by Jonathan Glassner & Brad Wright
directed by Peter DeLuise
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Jay Acovone (Major Kawalsky), Peter Williams (Apophis), Teryl Rothery (Dr. Fraiser), Ty Olsson (Jaffa #1), Shawn Reis (Jaffa #2), Tracy Westerholm (SF Guard)

Notes: The mirror device was first seen in the first season episode There But For The Grace Of God.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Farscape Season 1

Jeremiah Crichton

  • By Dave
  • July 30, 1999

FarscapeA frustrated Crichton takes the Farscape One module out for a drive to blow off steam – just as Moya’s pregnancy triggers an unexpected StarBurst that leaves him stranded. He makes his way to the planet Acquara, whose natives remain in a primitive state since something on the planet quickly drains all artificial power sources. He strikes up a friendship with the natives, although a few Acquarans fear that he is a threat to their ambitions. At D’Argo and Aeryn’s insistence, the crew of Moya spends months searching for Crichton. But when they find him, the Acquarans mistake Rygel for a long-awaited deity. Rygel realizes that the Acquarans were once Hynerian subjects – but can he make them understand the truth before they are all executed as religious imposters?

Order the DVDswritten by Doug Heyes, Jr.
directed by Ian Watson
music by Subvision

Guest Cast: Natalie Mendoza (Lishala), Kevin Copeland (Rokon), John O’Brien (Kato-Re), Deni Gordon (Neera), Tania Mustapic (Maid)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Categories
Babylon 5 / Crusade Spinoff: Crusade

Racing The Night

CrusadeGideon’s sources lead the Excalibur to a world that may have fallen victim to the plague centuries ago. After a crewman is murdered and vivisected despite the planet’s apparent lack of life forms, an investigation reveals a graveyard of alien ships – and attracts a well-armed defense force determined to prevent the Excalibur’s departure. Galen continues to refuse Dureena’s request to be trained as a technomage. Despite his mistrust, Gideon turns once more to his hidden source – the box he won years before.

Order the DVDswritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by Mike Vejar
music by Evan H. Chen

Cast: Gary Cole (Captain Matthew Gideon), Tracy Scoggins (Captain Elizabeth Lochley), Daniel Dae Kim (Lt. Matheson), Carrie Dobro (Dureena Nafeel), David Allen Brooks (Max Eilerson), Marjean Holden (Dr. Sarah Chambers), Peter Woodward (Galen), Brenan Baird (Kulan), Madison Mason (General Miller), Neil Bradley (Drazi Ambassador), Roxanna Brusso (Crew member #1), Jonathan Chapman (Brakiri Ambassador), Adam Clark (Ranger)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Categories
Season 03 SG-1 Stargate

Deadman Switch

Stargate SG-1Not far from the stargate on a distant world, SG-1 is captured within a force field by a man named Aris Boch, who proclaims himself to be the galaxy’s greatest bounty hunter…and declares SG-1 his latest catch, wanted alive by the System Lord, Sokar. Boch is willing to set O’Neill’s team free, however, if they help him capture an even more valuable prize who happens to be another Goa’uld. After an unsuccessful attempt to ditch their captor and escape in his ship, the team reluctantly agrees to help Boch capture his next quarry. But when they do find the renegade Goa’uld, he gives himself up to O’Neill willingly and confides that he is not Goa’uld, but a Tok’ra agent whose capture could provide Sokar with the information needed to wipe out the Tok’ra. Of course, Boch is only watching his bottom line, regardless of the ethics of helping a System Lord who helped to enslave the bounty hunter’s own people. To Boch, the Tok’ra are no better than the Goa’uld. To Teal’c, the Tok’ra are fighting a noble cause – and saving this one might be worth a supreme sacrifice.

Order the DVDswritten by Robert C. Cooper
directed by Martin Wood
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Sam J. Jones (Aris Boch), Mark Holden (Korra)

Notes: Sam J. Jones played the title role in the 1980 big-screen version of Flash Gordon.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Babylon 5 / Crusade Spinoff: Crusade

The Needs of Earth

CrusadeA Ranger tips Gideon off on the whereabouts of an alien refugee named Natchok Var, who is on the run with a very important cargo – the sum total of all of his race’s knowledge. That data could include a lead on the cure to the Drakh plague – but to procure it, Gideon and his crew will have to break any number of local laws and assist a fugitive from justice. The captain and Dureena take great personal risks to rescue the man, but Dureena’s lifelong distaste for servitude causes her to set free a shipment of slaves, which alerts the authorities to the Excalibur’s presence. Gideon may have the precious information in his hands, but the price for his crew’s survival will be the life of the man they have just rescued.

Order the DVDswritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by Mike Vejar
music by Evan H. Chen

Cast: Gary Cole (Captain Matthew Gideon), Tracy Scoggins (Captain Elizabeth Lochley), Daniel Dae Kim (Lt. Matheson), Carrie Dobro (Dureena Nafeel), David Allen Brooks (Max Eilerson), Marjean Holden (Dr. Sarah Chambers), Peter Woodward (Galen), Tony Amendola (Natchok Var), Bill Mondy (Nix), Mark Hendrickson (Patron), Peter Welkin (Trulann), Tom Wyner (Aprori Flentam)

Notes: This was the first episode produced.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Categories
Doctor Who Fan Films Mindgame

Mindgame Trilogy

Mindgame

This is afan-made production whose storyline may be invalidated by later official studio productions.

Recently escaped from an experiment in which they were almost manipulated into killing one another, a human officer, a Sontaran warrior and an eloquent Draconian have now gone their separate ways – though not necessarily to happy endings. The human finds herself alone and adrift in a solo spacecraft with no food or water left, and a dwindling supply of oxygen. The Sontaran is transported back into the heart of the battle he once craved, where he finds that his newfound ability to think freely isn’t an asset. And the Draconian is imprisoned, now confined to a cell that he can’t reason his way out of.

Battlefield written by Terrance Dicks
Prisoner 451 written by Miles Richardson
Scout Ship written by Roger Stevens
directed by Keith Barnfather
music by Nicholas Briggs

Cast: Sophie Aldred (Space Pilot 692 7896), Miles Richardson (Commander Of Brigade Merq), John Wadmore (Field Major Sarg)

Notes: Where Mindgame strongly hinted that the human soldier played by Sophie Aldred was Ace (possibly from the New Adventures novels), Mindgame Trilogy complicates that interpretation with the death of Aldred’s character.

Review: An interesting and somewhat surprising 1999 follow-up to the rather well-produced (if chlichèd) fan-made video project Mindgame, Mindgame Trilogy suffers a great deal in comparison because it alternates between being a total bummer (as Sophie Aldred’s doomed space pilot slowly rationalizes her way toward suicide) and rather annoyingly dull (the Draconian’s dilemma, something which could have been much more interesting).

Categories
Season 03 SG-1 Stargate

Demons

Stargate SG-1SG-1 finds the first instance of a Christian society in their travels, but it’s a primitive, superstitious village whose people live in fear of demons. The appearance of O’Neill’s team sends the villagers running, and they find a young woman chained up in the village square, waiting to be sacrificed. By freeing her, the members of SG-1 anger the “demon” who comes on a regular schedule to collect sacrifices – an Unas collecting victims to serve as host bodies for the System Lord known as Sokar. O’Neill tries to discuss the possibility of ridding this village of the Unas, but the leader of the village instead decides that the strangers are demons themselves, and puts Teal’c to a number of tests whose outcome will either “prove” his demonic nature or kill him. The guardian of the girl chained up for sacrifice tries to challenge his leader, certain that SG-1 can help them keep the demon away…but the village’s leader has become far too accustomed to power for anyone’s good, and the Unas will still come for his sacrifice.

Order the DVDswritten by Carl Binder
directed by Peter DeLuise
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: David McNally (Simon), Alan C. Peterson (Canon), Laura Mennell (Mary), Richard Morwich (Unas), John R. Taylor (Elder), Christopher Judge (voice of the Unas)

Notes: The Unas, the first being to become a Goa’uld host, was first encountered in the first season episode Thor’s Hammer, though that episode implied that its Unas was unique; this story rewrites the mythology a bit and makes the Unas an entire species.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Farscape Season 1

Durka Returns

  • By Dave
  • August 13, 1999

FarscapeWhen Moya damages a Nebari ship in another unintended StarBurst, she and Pilot insist on bringing its crew aboard to help them make repairs. Moya’s crew is less than thrilled to discover that the Nebari ship is a prison vessel, carrying a thief named Chiana back home for “rehabilitation” – a complete reworking of her personality to ensure her good behavior. Even more alarming to Rygel, the Nebari official Salis is accompanied by Captain Durka, the former commander of the Zelbinion. Salis insists that Durka, too, has been rehabilitated, and the former Peacekeeper expresses remorse for his actions. His apologies fall on deaf ears, however, and Rygel’s efforts to take revenge only compound the situation. Chiana escapes, Salis dies, and the crew must decide which criminal to trust.

Order the DVDswritten by Grant McAloon
directed by Tony Tilse
music by Subvision

Guest Cast: Gigi Edgley (Chiana), David Wheeler (Durka), Tiriel Mora (Salis)

Notes: Rygel encountered what he thought was Durka’s body aboard the Zelbinion in PK Tech Girl. Gigi Edgley joins the cast with this episode, although she would not be listed in the opening credits until season two.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Categories
Babylon 5 / Crusade Spinoff: Crusade

The Memory of War

CrusadeLegend speaks of a world long dead, its population destroyed by an undetectable, unstoppable killer, whose cities remain untouched. The Rangers find a world that may be the source of the legend, but when the Excalibur arrives to investigate, Galen warns them to turn back. This world has been off-limits even to technomages for over a hundred years. Gideon is determined to see what information this world may have, however. (And Eilerson is equally determined to see what technology may have survived.) Dureena finds a final mesage left by the planet’s inhabitants, but no one can determine what killed them, until members of the landing party start dying in violent fashion. Chambers’ autopsy uncovers the cause of death – and sends Galen deep underground to stop the madness of one of his own kind.

Order the DVDswritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by Mike Vejar
music by Evan H. Chen

Cast: Gary Cole (Captain Matthew Gideon), Tracy Scoggins (Captain Elizabeth Lochley), Daniel Dae Kim (Lt. Matheson), Carrie Dobro (Dureena Nafeel), David Allen Brooks (Max Eilerson), Marjean Holden (Dr. Sarah Chambers), Peter Woodward (Galen), Susie Park (Sogayu), James Parks (Duncan), John St. Ryan (Technomage), Ron Campbell (Belan), Maggie Egan (ISN Reporter), Dustin MacDonald (Guard)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Categories
Season 03 SG-1 Stargate

Rules Of Engagement

Stargate SG-1SG-1 stumbles across what appears to be a pitched ground battle between Jaffa warriors and an SGC team. Believing it to be SG-11, a team which has been missing from Earth for nearly a year, O’Neill and SG-1 try to assist, but are quickly ambushed and shot by snipers who are also wearing SGC uniforms. SG-1 awakens, only fired on with stun weapons. O’Neill notices their captors’ unit patches – “SG-X” – and everyone notices that their captors are all very young men, the oldest of which are barely of enlistment age. Teal’c bluffs the leader of the “SG-X” unit, Captain Rogers, learning that these young humans – none of them even hosts to Goa’uld symbiotes – were taken from their own worlds and trained to infiltrate the SGC on Earth. Teal’c and O’Neill try to tell Rogers and his team the truth: that Apophis has died and the battle they’re training for will never happen…but that only intensifies the warlike fervor of the would-be soldiers.

Order the DVDswritten by Terry Curtis Fox
directed by William Gereghty
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Peter Williams (Apophis), Aaron Craven (Captain Rogers), Dion Johnstone (Captain Nelson), Jesse Moss (Lt. Hibbard), Teryl Rothery (Dr. Fraiser), Josh Byer (Sergeant)

Notes: The videotape of the dying Apophis is from the episode Serpent’s Song. The information on SGC uniforms and customs was obtained from the missing SG-11 team by Apophis; SG-11 went MIA somewhere between The Tok’ra Part II and Spirits in the second season.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Farscape Season 1

A Human Reaction

  • By Dave
  • August 20, 1999

FarscapeWhen Moya discovers a wormhole that appears to lead right to Earth, an overjoyed (if somewhat hesitant) Crichton attempts to make the journey home. His homecoming is not quite the happy event he anticipated, however, as the military doesn’t trust that he is who he says he is, or that he still has Earth’s best intentions at heart even if he is. Over time, and with some help from his father, he starts to convince his former colleagues and current captors that he can be trusted – until Aeryn, D’Argo, and Rygel show up looking for him. The military’s paranoia kicks into even higher gear, and when Rygel and D’Argo meet unfortunate ends, Crichton decides his loyalties lie with his former shipmates and tries to escape. Things aren’t quite right with the world outside the compound, either, and Crichton starts to wonder if he really made it home after all.

Order the DVDswritten by Justin Monjo
directed by Rowan Woods
music by Subvision

Guest Cast: Gigi Edgley (Chiana), Kent McCord (Jack Crichton), Phillip Gordon (Wilson), Richard Sydenham (Cobb), Frankie Davidson (Newsstand Guy), Albert Mensah (Dialectic), Andy Cachia (Technician), Selina Muller (Woman On Beach)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer